[OUNTESS is a daughter of Kentucky and 

 Lady Blessington, by Eclipse. Lady Blessing- 

 ton was a very fast and good-looking mare out 

 of Philo, by Mariner, grandam Cassandra, by 

 Priam. Her first colt was Lord Byron. Her next was a 

 much better horse, Count D'Orsay. He always ran well, 

 but it was his luck to meet such grand three-year-olds as 

 Tom Bowling and Springbok. The next thrown to Ken- 

 tucky and Lady Blessington was Countess. She came 

 out as a two-year-old, in 1873, at Baltimore, in the 

 sweepstakes for two-year-olds, three-quarters of a mile, the 

 same race which Mr. Belmont won this year with Sul- 

 tana. Countess was immediately thought by the connois- 

 seurs to be one of the very best-looking two-year-olds 

 that Kentucky had produced. She was of fair size, very 

 muscular, very full of quality, and very high behind. 

 She defeated King Pin, the Sue Washington colt, Shil- 

 lelagh, Vandalite and Dublin with great ease, in 1:17 J. 

 Last year her success was not as great as we had anticipated. 

 Bonaventure beat her in the Ladies' Stake, and Regardless 

 defeated her in the Monmouth Oaks, at Long Branch. The 

 same filly beat her in the Alabama Stakes, at Saratoga, a 

 mile and a furlong, in 2:OOJ, 107 Ibs. each. Madge, Val- 

 dine, Bonaventure, Beatrice and Moonbeam were behind 

 Countess. In the Sequel Stakes, two miles, she was not 

 placed. She was second to Madge in her next race, nine 

 furlongs, in the splendid time of l:57t, but in this they 

 carried 95 Ibs. Grinstead and six others were behind 

 Countess. At the Jerome Park Fall Meeting she beat In- 

 spiration, Harry Bassett, Lotta Moon and Audubon, three- 

 quarters of a mile. This spring Mr. Beluiont let her racing 

 qualities to Mr. Longstaff, a Yorkshireman of great shrewd- 

 ness and fine business qualifications, with a large livery 

 establishment in this city. With Countess they began at 

 Baltimore, mile heats, a handicap, in which she conceded 

 even weights to the colt Piccolo. She won the first heat, 

 and made a dead heat for the second with him, thus getting 

 second money, when he won third and fourth heats. Seven 



others were behind her. In the Fordham Handicap, at 

 Jerome Park, she was not placed with 100 Ibs. At the same 

 meeting she beat Bob Woolley, Dublin and five others, 

 three-quarters of a mile. At Long Branch, Searcher, who 

 had the fastest mile record, beat her a mile, but Countess 

 did not get off well, and really ran it faster than he did. 

 Verdigris and eleven others were behind Countess. In 

 this race Field-Marshal Swim first rode the coroneted lady, 

 and she has been a favorite of his ever since. Countess 

 started in the Mansion House Stakes, for four-year-olds, 

 which Grinetead won, with Rutherford second. In her 

 next race, three-quarters of a mile, at Saratoga, she beat 

 Madge, Searcher and three others, in 1:16}; Swim rode. 

 She next beat Inspiration, the Naphtha filly and six others, 

 a mile handicap, 1:42}; Countess carrying her full weight, 

 and ridden by the Field-Marshal, who said she had plenty 

 left. It was a great performance. At a mile and a furlong, 

 she was beaten by Brigand and Rhadamanthus, but five 

 others were behind her. At Prospect Park, she beat B. F. 

 Carver, Wyndhani and Lutetia H., mile heats, in straight 

 heats, each 1:46. At the same meeting she beat Burgoo 

 and Wyndham, a mile and a quarter. She now had a rest, 

 and was kept quiet for a race which many thought she 

 could never compass. It was the Maturity Stakes for four- 

 year-olds, three miles. George Longstaff and Suedeker 

 had tried her mile heats with great success, and a mile and 

 a quarter. They now held a council of war, debated and 

 disagreed. Field-Marshal Swim was called in as a sort of 

 umpire, and the result was that these three worthies finally 

 determined to stretch her out further, and won a sackful 

 of money. The race is undoubtedly fresh in everybody's 

 memory. Countess met Madge and The Hoaxer, outran 

 the latter, and lasted somewhat longer than the Austra- 

 lian filly. At the same meeting she ran second to Shylock 

 for the $600 Handicap, Arcturus and Athlete being third 

 and fourth. After the race she went into winter quar- 

 ters, and has not since appeared on the turf. New York 

 Sportsman. 



